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James Comey testimony takeaways: He plays political hardball

Former FBI director James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday about his conversations with President Trump on the FBI's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Was it obstruction of justice?

Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, sought to pin Comey down on whether Trump’s words — that he “hoped” Comey could drop his probe into former national security adviser Michael Flynn — amounted to obstruction of justice. "Hoping" for something is not tantamount to obstruction, Risch argued. Comey’s response made clear that he disagreed. “Those words are not an order,” said Comey. “I took it as a direction.”

While he also said it is not his job to determine whether Trump's statements amounted to obstruction, he suggested that may be what special counselor Robert Mueller is looking at. "I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning, but that’s a conclusion I’m sure the special counsel will work towards trying to understand what the intention was there, and whether that’s an offense," said Comey.

Comey cuts Trump: ‘He might lie’

In his opening remarks, Comey went straight at Trump, saying the president’s conflicting explanations for his firing “didn’t make any sense to me.” In an initial letter firing Comey, Trump said it was because of Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. But long after that investigation, “He had repeatedly told me I was doing a great job,” Comey said. “The shifting explanations confused me and increasingly concerned me."

Later in the hearing, Comey said it eventually became clear to him that Trump “was looking to get something” in exchange for allowing Comey to keep his job. Then, after the firing, the White House chose “to defame me and then the FBI,” Comey said, by saying there was disarray at the bureau. "Those were lies," Comey said. “I am so sorry that the FBI workforce had to hear them,” he said.

After his very first meeting, Comey began documenting his interactions with Trump. When asked why, Comey was frank: “I was honestly concerned he might lie about the nature of our meeting.” He also made clear he never felt the need to take notes to memorialize his interactions with former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

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Former FBI Director James Comey revealed why he documented his meetings with President Trump.
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Comey makes some key Trump points

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the Intelligence Committee chairman, succeeded in getting Comey to confirm some key Republican talking points, including that he did not see any evidence that the Russia cyber effort altered any votes in the 2016 election. “I’d seen no indication of that whatsoever,” said Comey. He also confirmed no one asked him to stop the overall Russia investigation, as his interaction with Trump related specifically to the FBI’s probe into Flynn.

Comey admitted as well that Trump never specifically asked or directed him to drop the investigation of Flynn; instead, Comey said that was his impression from Trump's comment that he hoped "you can let this go."

Yet on another major point — whether the Trump campaign may have colluded with the Russians — Comey refused to answer, saying it falls under the purview of a current investigation. He also declined to answer a series of specific questions, including whether the Trump campaign sought to conceal communications with the Russians via encrypted devices or by destroying documents.

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Former FBI Director James Comey confirms what President Trump asked of him.
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Dossier no dice

Comey repeatedly refused to discuss an explosive dossier compiled by a former British spy that alleged the Russian government has compromising information about the president. Comey's conversations with Trump had begun with Comey deciding to brief the then-president-elect on the contents of that dossier. Comey said Thursday he could not discuss it because it’s still part of an ongoing investigation. This dossier is the source of the comment in Comey's written testimony that Trump had told him he had no involvement with Russia and that he had no involvement with "hookers in Russia."

New news on Lynch and Clinton

Comey said he felt it necessary to make his 2016 public declarations about Hillary Clinton's email server in part because then-attorney general Loretta Lynch had told him to refer to it as a "matter" not an "investigation." That and Lynch's meeting on an airport tarmac with former president Bill Clinton raised concerns for Comey about the credibility of the investigation. Lynch’s proposed language “tracked the way the campaign was talking about the FBIs’ work,” Comey said, and that “gave me a queasy feeling.”

Why didn’t Comey speak up sooner?

Comey was asked by both Democrats and Republicans why he didn’t confront the president to tell him his behavior was inappropriate or go public with his story sooner.

There was no one in a position to take action, said Comey. Attorney General Jeff Sessions — Comey’s then-boss — was poised to recuse himself from the Russia probe and “there were no other senior leaders at the department,” said Comey. “We decided we gotta keep it away from our troops,” or the FBI career investigators, so it didn’t interfere with their work. They decided to “hold it, keep it in a box, document it” and let the investigation go on, said Comey.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., pressed Comey on why he didn’t directly confront the president in an Oval Office meeting that Comey outlines in his opening statement. “Maybe if I were stronger I would have,” he said. “I was so stunned by the conversation that I just took it in,” he said. “Maybe if I did it again, I would do it better,” he said.

'Feeding seagulls at the beach'

Comey acknowledged he placed a story in The New York Times about the existence of his memos documenting his conversations with Trump. Comey said he passed the information to the media via a Columbia Law School professor who is a friend. Republicans pounced, questioning whether Comey was authorized to make that information public. Comey said he considered their contents to be his personal property and not the government’s property. “I thought it very important to get it out,” said Comey.

Asked why he didn’t give it directly to the reporter, Comey said the media was “camped out at the end of my driveway” and “I was worried it would be like feeding seagulls at the beach.” He also acknowledged that he expected the leak of the memos would prompt the appointment of a special counsel to take over the Trump-Russia investigation.

Comey also made note of the fact that President Trump has tweeted that there may be tapes of their conversations. "Lordy, I hope there are tapes," Comey said.

Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers arrive to speak during the House Intelligence Committee hearing on Russian actions during the 2016 campaign on March 20, 2017, on Capitol Hill. Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images

Trump shakes hands with Comey during an Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on Jan. 22, 2017. Andrew Harrer, Pool/European Pressphoto Agency

Comey is sworn in on Capitol Hill on July 7, 2016, prior to testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing to explain his agency's recommendation to not prosecute Hillary Clinton over her private email setup. J. Scott Applewhite, AP

Comey makes a statement at FBI headquarters in Washington on July 5, 2016, to announce that the agency would not recommend criminal charges in its investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as secretary of State. Cliff Owen, AP

Comey speaks about the FBI's request to Apple to unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter during a hearing before the House Intelligence Committee on Feb. 25, 2016. Jim Lo Scalzo, European Pressphoto Agency

Comey speaks alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell about a national effort to crack down on Medicare fraud during a press conference at the Department of Justice on June 18, 2015, in Washington. T.J. Kirkpatrick, Getty Images

Comey testifies at the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies hearing on the proposed budget estimates for FY2016 on Capitol Hill on March 12, 2015. Shawn Thew, European Pressphoto Agency